R.F.P. Issued for Pier 40

According to today's Villager--nope, it's not online yet--the Hudson River Park Trust has issued a request for proposals for Pier 40, at Houston Street on the Hudson River.
According to The Villager, the 14-acre pier is to be developed with 50 percent park and 50 percent commercial space, with the caveat that big-box stores are considered "incompatible with park uses." The article goes on to note that the timing of this R.F.P. is rather odd; with Eliot Spitzer likely becoming New York's next Governor, the HRPT's board of directors--who were appointed by Republican Governor Pataki--are likely to change when, and if, the Democrat takes office. -Matthew Grace